Men's water polo finishes behind Navy at Easterns

If you didn't already know, now you know — men's water polo ends the season proving yet again that it is a force to be reckoned with. The Tigers brought intensity and skill to the Naval Academy this weekend to take second place at the Eastern Championships in Annapolis, Md.

Although suffering a heartbreaking loss in the final round at Easterns in what was its last game of the season, Princeton's overall record of 24-4, including an Eastern College Athletic Conference title and a Southern Championship title, speak to the skill and intensity of the team.

The road to Easterns has been long and tough but familiar for the Tigers, whose perennial outstanding performances have allowed them to advance to the championship for the past couple of years.

As always, the Tigers dedicated their heart and souls to this year's matches.

"We've all put in three months plus here at school and most of us have put in time during the summer getting ready," sophomore two-meter defender Jamal Motlagh said.

In spite of their immense success in previous years, this was the first time in 11 years that the Tigers have battled their way to the final round of the tournament.

This weekend was the culmination of those three months of dedication and hard work. The Tigers entered the championship as the top seed, bringing with them the heart and skill that won them ECACs and made them Southern champs.

"We all knew what was at stake," Motlagh said. "We couldn't have been more ready."

The first game of the weekend was against the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (22-6 overall) whose challenge rested in the unknown.

"We weren't really sure what to expect," senior co-captain and two-meter Dan McKenna explained. "We knew they had some good players and maybe weren't as deep as some other teams."

The Tigers took an early lead with sophomore driver John Stover netting two. Sophomore driver Dean Riskas and senior two-meter defender D.J. Halliday also scored to give Princeton a 4-1 lead in the first quarter.

By halftime, freshman driver Chris Kelsch and senior drivers Dan Holligan and Derrick Wong contributed to a runaway 8-2 halftime lead.

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The Tigers shutdown the MIT offense completely in the second half and ran up the score, finishing the game with an overwhelming 15-2 win.

That night, Princeton took on St. Francis College with the fury of a team seeking revenge. The last encounter with the Terriers resulted in Princeton's first loss of the season, as it dropped a hard-fought 11-10 contest.

History would not repeat itself, and after breaking free of a 3-3 stalemate, the Tigers pulled ahead by three goals to close the half in front. Princeton kept the lead from then on to redeem itself with a 9-6 victory.

"It was by far our best performance," head coach Luis Nicolao said. "[Junior goalie] Peter [Sabbatini] had an outstanding game. Offensively, we capitalized on shots."

Playing exceptionally well was the powerhouse duo of Stover and Sabbattini, both leading their respective positions. Sabbatini chalked up a season-high of eleven saves and five steals while Stover's unrelenting offensive fervor was rewarded with four goals.

"We kept chugging away, we kept playing good defense," McKenna said. "We really tried to keep our lead and keep control of the game."

Sunday morning found the Tigers predictably pitted against Navy (25-6), a mix that always makes for edge-of-your-seat competition. These rivals had previously battled it out four times with Princeton, snatching three close victories.

It was obvious Navy was still holding a grudge. The Midshipmen started off with a 2-1 lead in the first quarter, with freshman two-meter defender Reid Joseph scoring the first Princeton goal.

The second quarter fell in the Tigers' favor as Motlagh, Halliday and McKenna closed out the half with a 4-3 lead.

The third quarter tides shifted in Navy's favor as it held Princeton scoreless while advancing its cause, 6-4.

"It was kind of an up and down battle," Stover said. "Both teams had streaks where they were playing really well offensively and we created opportunities that basically we didn't put away."

Stover and McKenna each scored in the fourth, but overall the Tigers were unable to reclaim the lead as the Midshipmen finished the game with an 8-6 win.

"I just told the guys this: we have seven minutes to give it our all — and they did," Nicolao said. "We never lose because of a lack of effort. I'm so proud of the way they played but it just wasn't meant to be for us."

Maybe Eastern Championships "wasn't meant to be," at least not this year. But for next year's championships, Princeton will be the one with the unfinished business.